The Vessel
by kitty-kat12
Summary: Instead of Angel's son being born when Darla staked herself, the baby was sent to Faith. Now she has to deal with the effects of the pregnancy, pesky Powers that Be and their prophecies, Holtz and W&H, as well as living with the members of Angel Investi
1. Chosen

**Title : **The Vessel

**Chapter Title : **Chosen

**Author :** kat

**Disclaimer :** The characters of this story belongs to the almighty creator of Angel the Series. No infringement is intendent by the making of this story. In other words, nothing belongs to me.

This is a response to _gidgetgirl's_ Redemption Challenge. The challenge is posted at CCS. The requirements are:

1) Faith must somehow be let out of prison.

2) Buffy must make an appearance

3) The pregnancy must bring to Faith feelings similar to what it brought to Darla, and the child may be Connor, or you may choose to make it AU, with a different child.

The other things that are included but do not fall under the challenge requirements are mine.

Enjoy.

* * *

_For surely in that time when the sky opens and the heavens weep_

_There will be no birth_

_Only death_

* * *

Faith looked at the being in front of her assesing him warily through dark, narrowed eyes. Remaining silent and holding her stance, she waited for him to speak. Or pounce. Whichever he chose first.

They stood a few feet from each other in what seemed to be an endless white space.

"Your time has come, Dark One." The being in the shape of a little boy declared to Faith softly, his voice echoing. He cocked his head to the side, his face soft and expressionless.

Shifting her weight from one foot to another, Faith arched an eyebrow. "My time?" She echoed. "I died? Really?" There was a long tentative silence as the boy refrained from replying and continued to stare. Faith huffed. "I'm guessing this is hell, then. I was expecting more flames and schorching heat. Thought I'd even run into a few people from back in the day." She sounded indifferent despite her surprise.

_I guess I had to go sometime._ Faith thought with a slight disappointment.

The boy's expression shifted and his lips stretched into a smirk. His actions looked almost fluid, uncanny.

"You are still of the living. This is not your heaven, hell or purgatory. This is the Stillness where space does not exist and time stops." He clarified, his blue eyes piercing into Faith's dark ones.

"Now that we've established the where, do you mind telling me who or what the hell you are? And what do you want with me?" Faith drawled, attempting to establish dominance. The little boy was beginning to make her uncomfortable and she suspested he was enjoying it immensely.

"Who I am is none of your concern, Dark One." The boy replied calmly.

"Why don't you let me decide that, junior?" Faith argued, eyeing him dangerously.

The boy scoffed indignantly as he glared back at her. "Boorish creature." He hissed. "What you see is a corporeal representation of what I am. I am the messenger of the Powers that Be. I am part of them but also detached. They-we have a message for you. You have been chosen."

"Chosen?" She drawled sarcastically as she folded her arms in front of her. "I've already been chosen. Slayer. Didn't you get the memo?"

"Silence!" The boy yelled; his blue eyes flickering with irritation. "You are not here to speak, mortal. You have been summoned and you shall listen." He waited for Faith to say something and when she remained silent, standing in front of him with an annoyed look, the boy continued. "We are aware that you are a slayer. One of two. You have been chosen for another task. You are The Vessel, Dark One. The first in over a millennia."

"The vessel?"

The little boy nodded. "Yes. The Vessel is a creature chosen to carry and protect a powerful and usually mystical being until it comes to term. That is you." He explained.

Faith scoffed, shaking her head in disbelief. "Oh, you mean you want me to play mommy to some alien baby?"

"Not alien and not yours." He clarified. "The child is not yours to keep. It belongs to another. You are merely a container, a shelter to the being until it is ready to be born."

"Gee, sounds tempting. But sorry, surrogacy's not my kind of temp-job." Faith declared petulantly.

The child let out a howling laughter, which sounded empty and haunting as it escaped his pale lips. "You do not have a choice, Dark One. It is your destiny. You will accept it."

Faith gritted her teeth. "I don't like being forced but let's pretend I'll bite." She said as she folded her arms defensively. "What do I get in return? It's not like the Powers that Be have given me anything."

"You dare to ask for a reward?" The boy jeered. "You have done acts of horror. You are not entitled to make demands, dark slayer. You could have a far worse fate."

"Fine. Why do you need me?"

"Because it is your role. You are The Vessel." He said matter-of-factly.

"I _heard_ that already." Faith impatiently declared. "But why do you need The Vessel, me, and whatever?" She demanded. "Why _now_?"

The little boy frowned. "The world is at a turning point. Your services are needed. Tonight a mother sacrificed herself before the infant was the delivered. And the child must be born. It is special. Valuable." He explained, sadness etched slightly in his words. "And the father, he means something...many things...to you. And you to him. It makes you an even more likely candidate."

Faith sighed sharply. "You have to stop talking like I know who you're speaking of, kid." She muttered impatiently.

"Why do you not take this seriously, Faith?" He asked, confusion marring his beautiful face. Faith smirked slightly; her name sounded somewhat strange hearing it from him. "The vampire- he can not do this. He needs your help."

"Angel?" Faith whispered, beginning to understand. The boy said nothing. "Is he okay?" Faith pressed.

The boy nodded, his lips stretching into a satisfied smile. "The vampire is well but his child is not."

"The baby is Angel's?" Faith asked in astonishment. She was silent for a moment, her mind spinning with thoughts and questions. "I'm supposed to carry Angel's baby?" She would have laughed at the absurdity of it all but Faith really couldn't find the humor.

"_This_ child is the offspring of two vampires. It is an impossibility made possible. Now, do you understand the gravity of the situation?" He whispered, suddenly standing almost toe to toe with Faith. She nodded, biting her bottom lip. "You wonder if this is some form of trickery. It is not."

The little boy was looking up at her, eyes larger than they already were.

Faith took a step back. "It would be easy to get me to agree by putting Angel in the equation. I need to be sure that the baby isn't the next evil."

He shook his head. "There are no guarrantees but you already know I tell no lies. Do you not want to help the vampire?"

"Yes, but-"

"You ask yourself, why you? Why the not Summers girl. She would be fitting for many reasons." The little boy mused, tapping his temple gently, his voice softening for the first time. He looked at her sympathetically and Faith dispised the pity she found in his eyes. "She has her own purpose. And you, little one, are in search of your redemption. You will not find it in a cage full of sinners. You may have your redemption and other things, if you do this right. I promise. You and the vampire will help each other. You are meant for great things, Faith. Great things to come and become."

Faith swallowed uneasily as she tried to absorb everything. _This baby must mean a lot to Angel. Hell, he probably loves it already._ Faith thought as she tried to weigh the odds and consequences to what she was being asked, or more likely, demanded to do. _It's the least I could do for him._

"Okay, do it. Whatever it is that you have to do." She flailed her hands in front of her. "But know this, super-boy, if I find out that I've been tricked and the baby is not Angel's but some sort of the next demonic Hitler, I won't hesitate to kill it even if it means I have to go down too."

"You won't." The little boy smiled. "Your permission was never needed. This was merely a courtesy." He said as he closed the space between them and placed a cool hand on Faith's now swelling belly. Faith jerked away, startled. He smiled.

"Just like _that_?" She exclaimed, almost sounding frightened. "I'm massive. I thought this was going to go slow."

"The infant has grown. All you need is to protect it while it is inside and deliver it when the time comes. The tiny creature has had great hardship. So much pain and so very special." He whispered, taking a step back and directing his attention back to Faith.

"Are you sure I'm meant for this?" She asked with a shaky breath, worry settling in her voice.

He nodded. "We have great confidence that you shall protect the infant. You are the prophesized Dark One, the Vessel." When Faith opened her mouth to ask what he meant by Dark One, the little boy pressed his index finger on his lips. "All in due time, mortal. All in due time."

"I can still fight, right? If I'm supposed to protect it, then I need to fight."

Again, the little boy nodded. "Your slayer strength is still in tact and has been significantly enhanced. The child has many enemies and now, so do you."

Faith heaved a sigh as she shifted her weight from one foot to another somewhat uncomfortably. "I'm guessing you have a plan to get me out of prison?"

He blankly looked at her. "You will never leave."

"What?" Faith exclaimed angrily. "You expect me to carry and protect Angel's baby while fighting off the other inmates and locked in a cell? You're kidding."

The little boy chuckled. "Such presumptuous little creatures, you humans, and often wrong too. We have left a duplicate in your place. She is exactly like you. No one will suspect a thing."

"Exactly like me?"

"Only in appearance and sound." He clarified. "You or she, to be exact, will die in two days. No one will look for you after that. You are free."

Faith smiled softly. "I like this already." She quipped. "So, this is it? I'm the Vessel. And now all I have to do is find Angel."

"Beware, Faith, it will not be as easy as you think. Not everything is what they seem. You will be tested and you can not fail. Good luck. You will need it." He warned her gravely as he waved his hand and Faith was gone before she could ask another thing. Another figure, a female, materialized next to him.

"You did not tell her about the other one. The Vessel will not be pleased."

The little boy nodded, his face settling back into a blank expression. "It is not our place to please her. The Dark One serves us. And she does not need to know. For now."

* * *

The front door to the Hyperion Hotel opened and Gunn walked in, shivering and soaked from the rain. It had poured since last night and from the looks of it, it had no intention of letting up. 

Lorne looked up from one of the books he was reading to acknowledge Gunn's presence before returning to his reading. He already knew that the man found nothing.

"Nothing." Gunn declared somberly, echoing Lorne's thoughts, not waiting for anyone to ask him where his leads sent him. "What about you guys?" He asked as he discarded his jacket.

"Zilch. Zero. Nada." Lorned replied, loudly pushing the chair back behind him and retreating to the kitchen. "I'm going to get something to drink before my head _implodes_."

With a sign, Gunn turned his attention Cordelia, Wesley and Fred who were huddled together around Wesley's desk, books and scrolls scattered around them.

Cordelia pursed her lips. "Nothing. I'm not even getting any visions." She replied in frustration.

"Has Angel come back yet?" Gunn asked, looking around the lobby.

Cordelia shook her head. "Not since he went to kick some Power that Be ass and get some answers." She uttered. "I hope the Oracles have something for him."

"Me too. Maybe I shouldn't have said what I did last night."

Wesley looked up from his book and readjusted his glasses. "It was going to happen, said or not. And we all thought it, Gunn."

Fred, who had not spoken much since last night, nodded in agreement. "I checked with hospitals, the police station, churches and a bunch of other places for any reports of a baby found last night. No luck at all." She gave everyone an apologetic look before ducking head down and returning to her laptop.

"Maybe Fred was right about the cosmic convergence." Cordelia hesitantly voiced.

Wesley shook her head. "No, Holtz may have tried to interfere. He may have tried to kill us all by blowing us to smithereens but he had nothing to do with Darla staking herself. _That_ was entirely up to her." He announced. "It would have been a true cosmic convergence if he found Angel and Darla, like he set out to do and then killed the baby as a result. He was merely a distraction and nuisance."

"There's still hope that the baby is out there, alive." Fred declared. "We can't give up now."

"That's the spirit." Lorne said as he returned with a drink in hand. "Well, I've already called every demon, human and mystical being who might be able to help us. They didn't even know about the whole shebang."

"Angel, you're back!" Cordelia exclaimed when she looked up and saw him standing by the stairs, listening to their conversation. "What did the Oracles say? Did you find anything?"

He folded his arms rigidly, a dismal expression falling on his weary face. "They didn't say much. A bunch of cryptic crap mostly."

"What were their words exactly?" Wesley asked. The room had suddenly fallen into a strange silence.

"They said, as it was prophesized so it shall transpire." Angel grimly said.

Lorne scoffed. "That doesn't help much or narrow our search field down."

Angel's frown deepened. "What else did they say, Angel? Anything might give us a clue or help us." Wesley persisted. "Anything at all."

"They also said something about death before birth."

"Reincarnation?"

Angel shrugged, defeated and tired and angry. "I don't know!" He snapped. "If I knew, I wouldn't be standing here and discussing this with all of you."

"We're just trying to help." Cordelia gently declared.

"I know. I just…I can't stand this, not knowing. Hoping. We're running around in circles. And my son could be dead!" He exclaimed angrily. "But I can't give up. I refuse to."

Cordelia rose from her seat and stood next to Angel, wrapping a supporting arm around his shoulders. "We know and we'll find something. We will, Angel. We will." No matter how hurt or betrayed she was about Angel sleeping with Darla, Cordelia had to put aside her feelings. It simply wasn't the time.

Wesley suddenly shrieked excitedly as he began to fervently flip the pages to his book, rereading the words carefully.

"Tell me you have something, Wes." Angel pleaded.

The British man smiled optimistically. "I think I might. It could be nothing but it's worth a try. I was looking for anything remotely related to our situation, to Angel's-"

"Don't keep us in suspense, English!" Gunn interjected. "What is it?"

Wesley paused and pursed his lips. "I was getting there, Gunn." He dryly stated. "It's a spell, a locator spell to be exact. It's not meant for our situation but I could revise it. It just might help."

"That's perfect!" Lorne exclaimed, clapping his hands together. "Let's get hopping, people! We have a baby to find."

"Wait, it might not work. I don't want to get your hopes up-"

Angel shook his head. "And I don't care, Wes. We have to try everything, anything, if we're going to find my son."

"What do we need to do?" Fred asked as they began to frantically scuttle around each other, filled with some sense of hope no matter how small.

Wesley flipped through the pages. "We need bloodroot, sage, two things that belong to the person, lizard eye and oracle's blood. Seer's blood."

"We're on it already." Gunn declared as he and Fred rushed to the kitchen to find the other ingredients.

Cordelia frowned. "Seer's blood? My blood?" Wesley nodded. "Haven't I been drained enough?"

"Just a drop, Cor. The seer's blood will find the way. We need it or it won't work." Wesley explained and Cordelia nodded grudgingly.

"I don't have two things that belong to the baby." Angel declared.

Lorne patted him on the shoulder. "Improvise, muffin. Two things that relate or are connected to the baby. It doesn't all have to be literal."

Angel nodded and a few minutes later, they all gathered in a circle in the middle of the lobby with Wesley cradling the book in his lap and Lorne holding the large bowl with the ingredients.

"Set it on fire, Lorne." Wesley somberly told him. The Host nodded. "Tusla. Diminor. Avas'lek. Purteri Kuvlai Tusla. Diminor." Wesley began to chant and a blue light flickered in the middle of their circle, hovering above them.

"Are we supposed to follow it?" Fred whispered to Gunn who was kneeling beside her.

"Yes." Wesley replied instead just as the light flew past him and towards the door. It collided with Faith, hitting her right on the stomach, sending her hurtling to the front door. Faith landed on her back, shattered glass cutting into her skin as she tried to stand up. No one had seen her walk in.

"Oh my God." Cordelia murmured.

Lorne rushed to Faith, helping her up. "Are you okay?" He asked worriedly.

"Faith?" Angel whispered in surprised.

Faith groaned as she let Lorne help her. "I guess I should have knocked."

* * *

**Author's Notes :** So, I've tweaked the Faith finds herself pregnant in prison part. This is my way of making sense to what's happening to Faith. I am respectfully bending the rules a bit. 

I don't claim to be an expert on any of the characters, especially Faith. I consider her one of the hardest characters to write, along with Lorne, Cordy and pretty much all of them. So, if they're out of character, I'd appreciate it if you point it out to me.

I can take constructive criticism, not unwarranted flames. Since this is one of the most difficult but interesting challenges, updates won't be as often as my other Angel fic. I'll try my best to update but first, let's see what you guys think. Be kind.

Please review!


	2. Return of the Rogue

A/N: A few things that I need to mention to you guys. First, thanks so much for all the feedback. Second, to those reading _She's A Wild One_, I won't be able to update it for at least another few days. My computer caught a virus and I lost all my work on that fic. Luckily, I wrote _this_ fic on paper.

This third one concerns Faith and this fic. My sources tell me that Faith has been in prison approximately two years, a little close to three. Anyone who knows if this is wrong, tell me. also, it's my opinion, that although Faith served time in prison and seems to have _spftened _(when we saw her in the episode _Salvage_) she still has some issues to resolve. This is just a fair warning to you readers for future references.

(More at the bottom of the page.)

Here's the second chapter. Enjoy.

* * *

_You labeled me_

_I label you_

_So I dub thee Unforgiven _

from _The Unforgiven_ by Metallica

* * *

"Who's Faith?" Fred timidly whispered to Gunn as they watched Lorne usher the very pregnant and soaked slayer to the nearest seat. Faith tried to wave him off, insisting that she was fine but Lorne refused to hear her.

"I only heard of her. She's a slayer." Gunn replied as everyone circled Faith.

Fred frowned; slightly confused. "I thought that was Buffy."

"There are two of them now. Something wonky happened and it screwed with the _one in every generation_ deal. I think it was Buffy who did it. Kept dying and coming back." He clarified. "From what I hear Faith had a crazy phase. Killed a bunch of people."

"For the record, it wasn't a phase and I wasn't crazy." Faith drawled, startling Gunn and Fred. "Let me guess. You two are newbies."

Fred chuckled shyly. "Oh, hi. I'm Fred."

"And I'm Gunn."

Faith nodded quietly as Lorne excused himself to get some bandages. "Nice name."

"Never mind that." Cordelia interrupted them. "Faith, what are you doing here? You have a gazillion years left to serve in prison."

"Nice to see you too, Cor."

The other woman huffed. "Angel, what is she doing here? Do you know anything about this?"

The vampire shook his head, looking troubled. "No. Faith, how did you…when did _this_ happen?" Angel looked unmistakably stunned to see her pregnant.

"Last night." Faith replied. Everyone looked at her suspiciously. "Mystical pregnancy."

"You too?" Fred uttered. "Wow."

"What? No, wait-" Faith tried to explain but Cordelia quickly cut her off.

"Don't tell me that you're carrying Angel's child." Cordelia drawled.

Faith sighed. "Oh, glad to know someone's been updated."

"_What_?" Everyone exclaimed in unison. Lorne, who just returned with the first aid kit and towel, dropped what he was carrying. The room burst into questions, everyone speaking on top of each.

"Okay, so you _didn't_ know." Faith uttered dryly.

"You boinked _her_ too?" Cordelia hissed at Angel who tried to explain but was somehow at a loss of words. "That is just great!"

Wesley pinched the bridge of his nose. "Oh, dear. This is not good."

"Not good at all." Lorne agreed as he sat next to Faith and began cleaning up her wounds. "One baby missing and another one found. You've been a busy little beaver, Angel." He paused, waving a finger at the vampire.

"I didn't!"

"How is that possible? Angel can't get all _happy_." Fred softly declared.

Angel frowned. "I can get happy. Just not-"

"Hey!" Faith shrieked as she abruptly rose from her seat. "You all need to shut up and listen to me. You are all panicking for no apparent reason."

The room fell into a stunned silence. Wesley shuffled his feet uncomfortably before speaking. "You're only partially right."

Faith shot him a look. "Okay, first thing's first. _This_ baby is _not_ mine."

Cordelia looked utterly confused as did everyone else in the room. "But you just said-"

"No." Faith argued. "You all jumped to conclusions before I even got to explain anything. Here's the deal, people. This baby I'm carrying is not mine, _at all_. It's Angel's and Darla's."

"You have my son? Are you sure?" Angel whispered in disbelief and Faith nodded. The rest of the gang exchanged baffled looks.

"Okay, how?" Gunn asked.

Theories, prophecies and doubts were suddenly rapidly running through Wesley's mind. "Faith, an explanation would be nice." He said.

Faith nodded as she sat back down. "Do you want the long or short version?" She asked.

Angel folded his arms. "We should hear it all. This does not make sense at all."

"No, it doesn't." Faith agreed.

"Go on." Wesley murmured, sighing loudly as he took a seat. He had a feeling this was going to be long. Cordelia followed his lead and waited.

"Last night, I was summoned by the Powers that Be." Faith began.

Wesley frowned. "The powers?" He echoed, looking intrigued.

Faith nodded. "Yes, them. They came to me or I was brought to them; to the Stillness-"

"The Stillness?"

Faith shot him an irritated look. "A place where space does not exist and time stops. Anyway, there was a little boy. He was a messenger."

"Messenger?" Cordelia whispered dubiously. She was having trouble taking it all in.

Faith sighed sharply. "Are you and Wesley my echo?" She snapped heatedly just as the baby gave her one good, hard kick. Unaccustomed to the sensation, Faith flinched.

"Are you okay? Do you want some water?" Fred asked.

"I'm fine. I'll get used to this." She replied as indifferently as possible.

Angel cleared his throat. "Who was the little boy, Faith? And what did he want?"

"I didn't get a name. He said he was a messenger of the Powers that Be and that I am the Vessel." Faith continued. "I was needed."

"What's the Vessel?" Angel asked. "Wes, do you know?"

Wesley nodded solemnly. "I've read of it years ago during my time as a watcher." He cast Faith a brief look before continuing. "The Vessel carries or _houses_ a supernatural being. Its definition was rather vague. I've always thought it was an object, not a person."

Faith smirked. "Well, that's the long and short of it. After my nice little chat with wonder boy I woke up on a bus headed here like it was all a dream."

"This is good, right? Angel's baby is back." Fred stated optimistically.

"It's kind of hard to believe that the Powers would just hand _you_ Angel's baby. How do we know you're telling the truth, Faith?" Cordelia asked.

The other woman shrugged. "I guess you don't."

Cordelia didn't look pleased with her answer. "We need to talk." She said, turning to Angel.

"Now?" Angel asked.

"Now." Cordelia firmly stated and Angel sighed as he followed her into the other room. Wesley went as well, muttering a curt _excuse me_.

_Typical_. Faith thought. "Go on. I'm sure you want to take part in it too." She said to Gunn and Fred who looked at her sheepishly. They exited the room and Faith turned to Lorne who was still sitting next to her, looking awfully relaxed and pleased.

"I'll stay." He said, offering her a smile. "I'm Lorne, by the way."

Faith gave him a small nod. "You a new member of Hero Inc. too?" She asked.

The Host chuckled. "Nah. Saving the world on a daily basis isn't my kind of thing, sweetie pie. I serve the people of L.A. the best way I know how. _Entertainment_."

"You're a…stripper?" Faith asked hesitantly, her eyes roaming his body as if to check.

Lorne guffawed uncontrollably and then settled down a few seconds later. "God, no. Me? Taking my clothes off? Let's not go there." He replied. "I own a club, Caritas, which is as crispy as a burnt KFC right now." Lorne looked truly unhappy as he momentarily thought of Caritas. "Hey, how about you sing me a piece?"

She shot him a puzzled look. "I don't think so." Faith replied dryly.

"I'm an empath. I read auras, take a little peek inside you head but no invasion of privacy whatsoever. They're deliberating in there, probably on whether or not you're telling the truth. It'll help you big, kiddo." Lorne said and Faith watched him suspiciously.

"Fine, whatever." She relented grudgingly, not looking too delighted.

* * *

The gang gathered in Wesley's office to contemplate about what Faith had just conveyed to all of them. Wesley had already situated himself behind his desk, flipping through the pages of the book in hand, looking some more proof in the slayer's words. Fred sat next to him, rapidly typing on her laptop while Gunn retreated on a nearby chair leaving Cordelia and Angel standing.

Angel sighed, took a quick glance at Faith, who was currently being occupied by Lorne, and turned back to face his friends.

"I can't believe it." He whispered, a small happy smile gracing his lips.

Cordelia frowned as she folded her arms in front of her. "Angel, she could be lying." She voiced. From the way Angel looked, Cordelia could tell he believed _every_ word Faith had just said.

"If she is, she sure made up one elaborate lie." Gunn drawled.

Fred looked up from her work. "Guys, maybe it's not her at all. Maybe it's some demon or _thing_ in her form."

"It's possible."

Angel shook his head. "It's her." He said with finality.

"How can you be sure?" Wesley asked without looking up from his book.

"Everyone has a distinct scent. I can tell people apart through them, human or otherwise." Cordy quirked an eyebrow at Angel, slightly disturbed.

"Right, enhanced vampire senses." Gunn uttered.

Angel nodded. "Yes. Wesley, did you find anything?"

"Nothing I didn't already know, which isn't much." Wesley said. "This requires more research."

Cordelia frowned. "Faith could have read about it."

"In prison?"

Cordelia shrugged. "Does the book mention anything about the Vessel being evil or works for evil?"

Wesley shook his head as he readjusted his glasses. "It says that the Vessel is a neutral force but can be swayed by either side. There's no mention of who or what summoned the first Vessel so it could be _anyone_. Who Faith works for now is who we should worry about."

"Who says Faith has to be working for somebody?" Angel asked.

"Well, she didn't do it on her own, Angel." Wesley declared.

Everyone nodded in agreement. "She could be working for Wolfram and Hart." Fred suggested.

"Or Holtz." Cordelia added grimly.

"Or the Powers that Be, just like Faith said." Gunn pointed out.

Angel sighed sharply. "It doesn't matter who did this to Faith or who she works for. At least not right now." He declared. "My son is alive. That's all that matters to me."

"It _does_ matter. We're not even sure that Faith is really carrying your son. For all we know this could be some sort of trap." Cordelia stubbornly insisted.

Wesley concurred with a slight nod. "A Trojan Horse. Cordelia has a very good point. It would be very easy to deceive you by giving you a gift-your son-and then destroy you when you least expect it."

"We want to find your son too, Angel, but we have to look at all the angles here." Cordelia pressed. "Wolfram and Hart has the resources to do this kind of dark magic. They've hired Faith before. She has the power _and_ will to destroy you. With Faith carrying your child, you're not likely going to hurt her no matter what she does."

"Cordy, that was two years ago. Wolfram and Hart paid her. She was going through a rough time."

She shook her head at him. "You're not helping your case here, buddy."

Angel heaved a sigh. "She's changed. Faith went to prison."

"Two years in jail is hardly enough time for a psychotic rogue slayer to change." Wesley pointed out.

Angel glared at him. "Whose side are you on?"

Wesley pursed his lips. "No one's side, Angel, but I must admit that I'm slightly biased on this seeing as how Faith mercilessly tortured me and tried to kill you before." He said somewhat bitterly. "If she was willing to assassinate you for a few thousand dollars, it's likely she won't hesitate giving it another try if the fee was raised."

"Like a get out of jail ticket." Fred whispered.

"Yeah." Gunn murmured.

"But Faith _could_ be telling the truth. This could all be the Powers' work." Fred continued.

Wesley sighed, looking exasperated. "There are so many unknowns to this, Angel, that I simply don't know what's right. I need more time to research."

"Why don't we ask Faith then?" Gunn suggested.

Cordelia scoffed. "_Right_. Faith will just suddenly tell us the truth because we asked nicely. She's not going to change her story."

"If Faith wanted to kill me, she would have been more direct about it." Angel insisted. "She's not the kind to go sneaking around, pretending to be on my side. It's not her style."

"She could have changed tactics." Gunn suggested. "Learned a few new ones in prison?"

A knock interrupted them and Lorne stuck his head into the doorway. "Sorry to interrupt, gang, but I've got some news."

Angel suddenly looked worried. "What is it? Is Faith okay?" Cordelia shook her head disappointedly.

Lorne nodded. "As okay as anyone in her situation can be. Anyway, what I wanted to tell you all is that there's no need to worry. Slayer girl is telling the truth." He declared and Angel looked immensely relieved while everyone in the room asked questions simultaneously.

"She is?"

"How can you be you sure?"

Lorne raised a hand to silence them. "Empath, remember? Anyway, I asked her to sing me a little piece since you guys were getting nowhere with the debates and _let_ me tell you, Faith has some nice set of pipes-"

"Lorne, your point?" Angel interrupted him.

"I was getting to it. She sang and I saw the whole event-visit to the messenger-boy, the disturbing speech and suddenly _blowing up_ in less than a second. No evil vibes at all. Just creepy." He briefly made a face before continuing. "I saw all that but something was blocking me from seeing _anything_ about her future. Strange."

"Good." Angel declared, looking pleased. "Where's Faith now?"

"She's right there, Angel face." Lorne declared.

Angel frowned, looking around. "Where, Lorne?"

Lorne turned to where Faith was. "Well, she _was_ there two seconds ago. Maybe she's stretching her legs."

"Angel." Cordelia interrupted before he could leave the room.

Angel paused. "Cordy, I understand. _Really_, I do." He solemnly said, his eyes traveling to where Wesley was and to Fred and Gunn. "I get it. We're _all _worried. This Faith _could_ be some evil shape shifter or just her trying to kill me, I _could_ die but that's nothing new and my son _could_ already be gone. Like Wes said, there are too many unknowns. But Lorne read her and he says that she's telling the truth. So, until we find some proof that she isn't, Faith stays. Okay?"

Everyone nodded quietly and Angel looked momentarily appeased as he exited Wesley's office to find Faith. A few minutes later, he found her in the kitchen, propped up on a stool and eating a sandwich.

Faith turned when she sensed his presence. "Hey. I got hungry." She casually said, showing no signs that she overheard their little _conference_. She hadn't expected them to welcome her with open arms and open minds, so Faith wasn't the least bit surprised that the Fang Gang along with their newbies, dashed to the next room to talk in private.

"Hey." Angel greeted back somewhat awkwardly. "How's your arm?"

Faith shrugged as she raised the arm that Lorne had bandaged earlier. "Fine, already healing."

"Good."

Faith nodded as she bit into her sandwich. "What was that thing that hit me?"

"A locator spell to find my son. Sorry about that." Angel said, slipping his hands in his pockets and looking solemn.

Faith shrugged coolly. "I've been hit by worse. No drama. So, you're having a boy. Congratulations."

"Thanks." An awkward silence fell between them and Angel cleared his throat as he walked to the refrigerator. "Do you want some blood with that?"

Faith looked up and arched an eyebrow. "No, water or OJ is fine."

"Oh." Angel murmured as he pulled out the carton of orange juice. "I thought you'd be craving blood too. Darla was." She gave him a slightly curious look. "Look, Faith, I don't know how to do this. It is just unexpected and _strange_."

Faith chuckled wryly, arching an eyebrow. "What's more strange is you and Darla having a baby. Vampires are supposed to be infertile."

"I can't complain. However I look at it, this baby is a great gift."

"Must be, since the Powers are going through so much trouble trying to make sure Angel Junior is born. Listen, I'll protect your son until he's ready to be born. You don't have to do much. All I ask is that you feed me and maybe give me some money for an apartment. I need someplace to crash for the mean time." She grinned as she accepted the glass of orange juice that he handed her.

"You're not staying?"

Faith shook her head. "I don't think it's a good idea. This isn't exactly _friendly_ territory."

"No. You _have_ to stay. Wolfram and Hart and Holtz and a bunch of other people are going to be after you. Faith, I don't want you and my son in any danger." Angel insisted. "We can keep an eye on you here."

"Just because I'm a few pounds heavier-okay, _a lot_ of pounds heavier-doesn't mean I can't fight." Faith stated, looking slightly miffed. "I can still kick ass."

Angel smiled. "I'm sure you can but it would be easier if you stayed here."

Faith nodded. "Right. Strength in numbers."

* * *

A/N: I know that cordy is being really bitchy to the wole Faith situation, more than she was with Darla being pregnant and there is a reason for this. You'll all know later on. A few comments.

Questions first:

Does anybody know the name of that guy who translated that prophecy for Lilah? Also, we all know that this is _AtS Season 3 _but does anybody know what season _BtVS _is during this time? And who was Buffy dating then? Does anybody know if Lilah and Sahjahn are in cahoots with each other already or if they ever were or will be?

Comments:

_Darklight, _Faith won't get the short end of the stick on this whole delio. Just wait and see. You're right though, Faith has to do this on her own way but for right now, they have too compromise. Plus, she's broke.

_Abiscom, _thanks for the suggestion but no thanks. As much as I love Cordy, she has to many things going on with her already. Being a seer with those deadly visions, Cordy doesn't need more on her palte. Plus, she has already been pregnant twice (if we cound the Jasmine part) and getting pregnant for the third time is simply overdoing it. I'll try to find a way to incorporate her more into the story but just remember that this is a _Faith-centric fic_. Also, the challenges doesn't belong to me. _Gidgetgirl_ came up with its premise and even_ if_ for some odd reason I can change it, I won't. I just came up with the idea of _The Vessel._

A few other things. The direction of this story hasn't been finalized so if you have any suggestions, let me know. The pairings also have not been decided but I'm a 100 sure it won't be B/A. (Rest assured, Whitetighter16. D).

Again, thanks for all your reviews.


	3. Intervention

A/N: I am horribly sad that _Angel_ is over but I get why it went down the way it did. My comments on that later. Here's the next chapter. Sorry it took long. This virus is driving me insane.

A fair warning to the readers, again. This version is full of cryptic-ness. I wrote at least five other versions of this chapter and finally went with this one. _Italicized_ words are either thoughts or something occuring but not seen. _**Bold italicized**_ words are spells and/or magic being done to a person or is happening.

Sahjahn and Holtz's story has been changed from how it was in the show.

Also, my sources tell me that Faith is prisoner number 43100 but in Salvage the guard cakked her 430019, so I'll stick with the latter.

Thanks so much for the review and for taking the time to answer my questions. It helped big time.

Hope you like this chapter.

* * *

_We all have a dark side, to say the least_

_And dealing in death is the nature of the beast_

from _The Dogs of War_ by Pink Floyd

* * *

"Well, that was exciting. Just when we were about to turn the tide, you just stand there and Darla stakes herself!" Sahjahn sarcastically declared as he and Holtz returned to the dank and dark circular room that served as their lair. 

"Why didn't you tell me that she was pregnant?" Holtz demanded.

Sahjahn shrugged uncaringly. "I didn't want your view of Darla or Angel changing. You have a soft spot for _families_."

"It has _not_ changed but she sacrificed herself believing that the child would be saved." Holtz whispered softly.

"It was a moment of weakness. Had she lived, Darla would have eaten her young once it was out and the soul was no longer making her gooey." Sahjahn quickly replied. "But her maternal instincts were right. The child is saved."

Holtz frowned, slightly confused. "The child is not saved. It died along with her."

"No, the child's alive."

"What makes you so sure?"

"A little bird told me." He quipped and when Holtz continued to look at him darkly, Sahjahn sighed. "There is a prophecy that speaks of the child as a man and one before that, predicting the child being born from a mortal woman."

Holtz's expression darkened. "And you did not see the need to share any of this with me?"

"No, but I didn't expect you to just stand there and watch! You were supposed to kill Angel, get Darla and force her to have the child before she dusted herself."

"Why is Angelus' child so important to you?"

Sahjahn shrugged. "It's not. What's important to me is that it doesn't live. If Darla managed to have the baby _naturally _then it wouldn't be transferred to the mortal. We could have done whatever we wanted with it."

"Do we know who the mortal is?"

"No. We have to find her before Angel and his team figures it out and gets to her. That baby will be born soon and we can't allow that."

Holtz shook his head. "I won't kill a mortal woman. She's an innocent. All I want is to punish Angelus for slaughtering my family."

"Yes and the only way to do that is through the child. It's Angel's only chance of normalcy, a once in a lifetime opportunity and if we take it away from him…well, imagine how crushed his un-beating heart will be. And then we kill him after we make him suffer."

"No." Holtz protested.

"No? What do you mean no?" Sahjahn exclaimed angrily.

"Death is too easy an escape for him. His downfall with will be far more excruciating than a stake piercing his heart."

Sahjahn sighed. "Very poetic. We're going to discuss this not-killing Angel part. Right now, I need to find out who has the child."

* * *

"You said that the child was not going to be born!" Lilah hissed at the translator who looked unfazed. 

"Actually, _I_ never mentioned the child. It was a mere technically, Ms. Morgan. The prophecy was about Darla, not the baby she was carrying. I assumed you came to the same conclusion that I did." The man replied sheepishly. "Now, I got a teeny bit curious and researched the scroll further."

Lilah arched an eyebrow. "Goody." She uttered sarcastically. "Now, what did you find and you better have found something."

"There's a companion to the obituary; one that actually speaks of the child and its final carrier. I'm not sure if it's written by the same prophet but-"

"What final carrier?" Lilah asked.

"The child was never supposed to be born _from_ Darla but it is meant come into this world. Here it is._ Blessed by great powers, grown in the womb of the undead, the child of the vampire with a soul will be born from a mortal woman. _Can you imagine? This child has _two_ mothers and one father."

Lilah sighed. _This is just great. Just when I thought we were through with Angel and his hell spawn. _"Does it say anything about who's going to carry Angel's child? Is she human, a demon, or a god?"

The man beamed at her. "Actually, it's a slayer."

"_Slayer_?" Lilah exclaimed as she snatched her cell phone and furiously dialed a number. "This is Lilah. Is there any change on the Angel and his people?"

_"The third female-the slayer just woke up. Angel just went downstairs. The Host is currently greeting three unidentified females. Two are in the office and two have left the building. Unfortunately, there's no audio so we can't decipher what they're saying."_

"Why wasn't I informed about the slayer's arrival?" She demanded angrily.

_"Mr. Park said that the two of you are working together and that he'll notify you personally. We're sending in a lip reader just as he instructed."_

"What does the slayer look like?"

_"Caucasian. Brown hair and eyes, approximately-" _

"That's good enough. Report to me from now on, not Gavin Park." Lilah gritted her teeth as she snapped her phone shut. "Gavin." She hissed, turning her attention back to the translator who was looking at her curiously. "Has that little cockroach been here? Does he know about the other prophecy?"

The man shook his head. "He was here but I know that the two of you aren't the best of co-workers. I hear stuff in the lounge room, you know. I haven't told him anything."

"Good man. And to think that I was just about to have both your daughters sold to Pretukis slave traders." Lilah brightly declared without missing a beat. "Keep it up and inform me if you find anything else in those scrolls."

"Will do, Ms. Morgan. I'm glad to be working on the winning side."

"Of course, you are. Fax a copy of the prophecy to my office in exactly seven minutes." Lilah smirked as she stepped out of his office and pulled out her phone again. She dialed a number. "Linwood, this is Lilah. I have some information that you might like to hear."

_"There's a slayer in town and she's working with Angel. Gavin just notified me_."

Lilah just sneered in response as she pictured gutting Gavin Park. "Did he also tell you that the slayer is carrying Angel's child?"

"No." _Good, _she thought.

"That was very careless of him." She said sarcastically.

"How sure are you?"

"Very sure. Meet me in my office in five." Lilah declared as she headed to the elevator. By the time she reached her office, Linwood was already there, looking impatient. Lilah gave him a smug look and handed the folder that contained every information there was about Faith.

Linwood stared at the pregnant brunette in the picture. "Pretty girl. So, this is her?"

"Her name is Faith. Rogue vampire slayer and was formerly employed by the firm to assassinate Angel."

Linwood nodded. "I remember. It was your deal. Another botched up job."

"She had every opportunity to kill Angel but she held back. Slayers and their vampires, you know." Lilah grinned. Her fax machine beeped and Lilah walked to her desk. "That's the prophecy right there." She snatched the paper and Linwood read it quietly. "I just spoke with the lip reader looking over the surveillance tape from last night. Faith called herself a vessel."

Linwood arched an eyebrow, his interest piqued. "No. No, not _a_ vessel, Lilah. She's_ the_ Vessel. The not-so-mythical but extremely rare creature that Wolfram and Hart has been trying to acquire for centuries."

"My team also mentioned that she was called by the Powers that Be."

Linwood smirked. "So, they got to her first. The Vessel works for no one. She can be harnessed by both good and evil." He grinned. Lilah understood perfectly. Faith was never one to join any team. The winning side was all that mattered to her. "The senior partners are going to be thrilled. I don't understand Gavin's oversight. He should have seen this."

Lilah shrugged nonchalantly. "He's from real estate. He's _clearly_ not cut out for this kind of work. I mean, Gavin tried to evict Angel as a way to intimidate him."

"I'm starting to agree with you. What else did find out?"

"I checked with Northern California Women's Facility. Prisoner number 430019 died half an hour ago. Stabbed three times during a fight that broke out in the refectory. The Powers that Be are going through great lengths to make sure that no one suspected anything. They must badly want Angel's child to be born."

Linwood chuckled. "Clever little move but not good enough. Retrieve the body that died in the slayer's place. I want our scientists taking it apart before lunchtime."

"My men are already on their way, sir."

"Good job, Lilah. The senior partners are going to want the Vessel detained immediately." Linwood announced as he rose from his seat. "But don't harm her. She's far too valuable to them, more than the child she's carrying or the vampires who created it."

"Lucky her."

* * *

Faith woke with a start, her heart beating wildly in her chest. Something was wrong. Her eyes snapped open and her hand immediately snaked under her pillow to grab the stake hidden there, her enhanced slayer reflexes kicking in. With surprising speed and strength she leapt out of bed only to come face to face with Angel who managed to stop the stake before it was jabbed into his heart. 

"It's me." He said. Faith was somewhat surprised to see him. She had half expected to find herself back in her cell and the events from the night before to be a dream. "It's just me."

"Don't sneak up on me like that!" She snapped, somewhat breathless and her dark eyes flashing. "Dust in the wind is not a good look for you, soul boy, just when you're about to become a father."

"Right, can't have that. Brought you breakfast." He explained, setting the tray down on the table.

Faith dropped the stake on the side table and retreated back on the bed. "You didn't have to go all domesticated on me but thanks." Faith groaned softly, looking fatigued.

"What's wrong?"

"My slayer senses are all out of whack thanks to the power boost the Powers gave me. I feel like my body is going to jump out of my skin whenever a vampire is around. And with you hovering by the doorway all night, it wasn't exactly a quick trip to slumber-land."

"Didn't know. Your revved up senses will keep you safe." Angel handed her a bagel and Faith gladly accepted it and took a bite. "There are a lot of vampires that are going to come after you now."

"Occupational hazards." She said casually. "But don't worry; they're not getting their hands on junior here. How long was I asleep?"

"Not that long. A few hours. You were dreaming."

Faith gave him a look. "Hover much, mama bear?"

"I was making sure you're not in any danger."

"In this line of work, that's pretty impossible. I'm going to shower. Do you think you could loan me a shirt or something? The Powers seemed to have forgotten to give me some clothes that fit when they chose me for this."

The vampire nodded. "I'll leave it on the bed. I can take you shopping later if you want."

Faith chuckled, shaking her head slightly. "Words that would make any woman weak in the knees. I probably won't need a lot, you know. Junior here might be born soon."

"Do you know when exactly?" Angel looked alarmed.

Faith shook her head at him. "I only know what boy wonder up in the land of big white clouds told me. He said rest. So I'm assuming the baby won't be born _right_ away. Maybe a week or two. I really don't have a clue." She replied as she headed to the bathroom. "Don't forget the clothes."

She shut the bathroom door behind her and heard Angel leave her room a few seconds later. Sighing, Faith walked over to the tub and let the water run. Dipping her fingers into the water, she quickly stripped her clothes off and stepped in. The baby, who hadn't stopped kicking since last night, seemed to approve since it stopped.

She rested her hand on her swelling belly, feeling awkward and strange. "I'm a whale." Faith murmured as she swatted her hand on the water, making a small splash.

_But you're not **really** pregnant. _She quickly reminded herself with a heavy sigh. _This is what you do. Who knows how many times this going to happen?_

As if hearing her thoughts and disapproving with them, the baby gave her a good hard kick. Faith groaned and proceeded with her bath. When she was satisfied that she had washed all the traces of prison from her body, Faith gingerly stepped out of the tub and wrapped a towel around her.

She spotted the neatly folded clothes on the bed and smiled.

She caught a glimpse of her reflection in the full length mirror and shook her head. _Don't make this about you, Faith, because it's not. Don't even think about going there. _She reprimanded herself as she turned away from the mirror, hastily examined the clothes Angel left her, dried off, dressed and headed downstairs.

The lobby buzzed with mild excitement as Lorne paraded around, dictating instructions while followed by three floating women. "Hey, look who's up. Faith, meet the Furies. Girls, meet Faith. We'll swap stories over Sea Breeze later…and milk for Faith. "

Faith gave them as slight nod as she walked over to Angel. "What's going on?"

"Lorne's having the Furies put a sanctuary spell on the hotel. No violence in the building. It'll keep you safe while you're inside." He explained. Faith nodded.

The Furies paused and smiled fondly at Angel. "Mmm, _Angel_." They simultaneously sighed in ecstasy. "Angel."

Lorne shook his head. "You can all have a piece of our Angelcake in the next century, _after_ he's raised his son and future grandkids. Let's get this spell cracking before we get some unexpected vengeance ridden visitors."

"_Angel_." They sighed again as Lorne ushered them away.

"Enough with the euphoric noise making girls. You're giving me whiplash. Does anybody else hear that humming?"

Faith smirked, shooting Angel an amused look. "You have groupies."

Angel just shrugged. "How are you feeling?"

"Five by five." She coolly replied. "How's the research?"

"Wes and Fred found that there's a prophecy about you."

Faith looked slightly fascinated. "There's _always_ a prophecy, Angel. What does it say? Is it apocalypse-y and all doom?"

"No, it's about my son being born from a mortal. _You_."

"We'll I already figured that part out without the prophecy." Faith replied when suddenly she became dizzy. "Whoa."

Angel frowned. "What happened?"

"I feel like I just got hit by a tsunami-sized wave of dizziness." She replied, the feeling worsening. "Is this supposed to be happening?"

"I don't know. Darla was feeling sick all the time. Maybe you have it worse because you're human."

Faith nodded as Angel quickly ushered her to the seat. "I'm fine, Fang. _Really_." She stubbornly insisted. _Stupid mystical morning sickness._

"Are you sure?"

She nodded, giving him a firm look. "It's a little uncomfortable but I just have to let it pass. Your son is playing soccer with my spleen." Faith declared with a small laugh. "Help me up. I need to get a drink. It's suddenly really hot in here."

"No, stay put. I'll go get it. Are you sure you're going to be okay?"

"I'll live. Just go."

Lorne returned to the lobby just as Angel exited. "Spell's in place and the Furies are _finally_ gone. I love those girls but the noise they make just-"

"Lorne, a little help here!" Faith gritted her teeth.

The Host frowned as he rushed to her. "Oh, hon, you don't look so hot."

"You're not helping. Something's wrong with the baby." She suddenly doubled over from the pain, gasping. Lorne caught Faith and held her. The room was suddenly spinning, making her feel like she was falling.

"Oh, this is not good!" He mumbled, panicking slightly. "Okay, why don't you lie down? Angel! Wes! Fred? Anyone? Why do the people capable with deliveries suddenly disappear when the time comes?"

Faith grabbed his collar. "It's not time! Something's happening."

"Oh, my god. Is she okay?" Fred asked as she and Wesley emerged from the office. Angel returned with the glass of water but immediately discarded it on the side and knelt beside Faith who was quickly falling in and out of consciousness.

"She's in pain." Lorne murmured. "And the baby too."

Faith blinked, trying to focus on something that would somehow anchor her, something that she could hold on to before she was lost in all the swirling madness. But her vision was blurring. Angel was gone, Lorne had suddenly turned into a large smudge of green and the only thing reassuring her that they were there were their voices.

"Faith, hang on. Wes, do something!" Angel pleaded.

"Something's wrong, Angel." She whispered, letting out a pained sound. Faith could feel her insides burning, like she was being stabbed with a thousand hot knives and her fingertips were suddenly cold, losing any feeling in them. _This isn't supposed to happen._

**_In the name of the Goddess_**

Her eyes stared up at the ceiling, moist with tears but vacant and unseeing.

"Tell me what to do, Faith." Angel whispered, worry marring his face. His voice was becoming faint to her, mixing with the others that invaded her head.

She coughed.

"Faith, can you hear me?" Wesley spoke somberly, patting her face gently. "Lorne, can you get a reading?"

**_The Dark Lord_**

He frowned. "A little. Something's been blocking me since I first read her. Our little slayer is slipping."

"As in dying?" Fred whispered worriedly.

"But her heartbeat is strong." Angel argued. "Faith, come on!"

"No, she's somewhere. In limbo."

**_Keeper of the gates and guardian of the night_**

Tears trickled out of the corner of Faith's eyes and she suddenly jerked, kicking and thrashing with enough force to send everyone around her flying across the room.

"Is everyone okay?" Angel asked as he quickly rose and rushed back to Faith who had now stopped shaking. Her eyes had closed and she was looked frighteningly dead.

"A little aquamarine but I'll survive." Lorne quipped as he helped Fred up.

**_We beseech thee_**

Wesley stood next to Angel. "I can't do anything for her unless I know what exactly is happening. I don't want to take any chances and harm her and your son in the process."

"Voices." Faith murmured faintly.

"What did she say?" Wesley asked.

"Voices. Someone is doing this. Someone is trying to kill my son from inside her! Wes, please."

**_Restore the mother and her child_**

"What if we cast a protection spell? We might be able to buy time." Fred suggested.

"Go! Do it!" Angel barked, his eyes flashing.

**_Let them cross over_**

"Guys…guys…she's fading." Lorne stammered, pointing at Faith.

"She's not going to die!" Angel declared resolutely.

"No, I meant she's _literally_ fading!"

* * *

The little boy watched the scene in the Hyperion, his young face set on a frown. "They are trying to retrieve the child." He declared to the woman who stood beside him. 

"And resurrect the mother. It has been done before with the Summers woman. A different spell but equally powerful. They might succeed."

"We will not allow it. It must not come to pass." The boy declared. "The child will become an abomination. He will be changed. _Damaged_."

The woman nodded. "The ritual is almost ended. They are already tied to each other. The slayer will not survive it, nor will the other."

"She can. She was built to withstand many things. The Dark One is capable." The little boy cocked his head to the side, large blue eyes darkening like his mood. "But the child is in its rightful place. He belongs to the Dark One."

The woman smiled. "Then we shall intervene once more."

* * *

A/N: So, did that make any sense to anyone at all? When I first wrote it, it did. Now, it's just all craziness. Anybody have a guess on what's happening to Faith? 

Now, my comments on the end of _Angel. _

Wesley's death was just painful to watch. I've always been a huge fan of the character, even when he was still the_ by-the-book-tight-ass _watcher. But I get why Joss had him die in the end. Wes was just in too much pain to go on. He hasn't been happy in a long time and we all know that Wesley died the night Fred did. He's been miserable since and perhaps even before that. The whole mess with Connor, Holtz and Sahjahn and the throat slashing and getting cast out started it all. I must say, his dying scene was awesome. Sad but well played out. Illyria lying to him, becoming Fred and comforting Wes in his last moments was very humane for someone who feels no compassion for _half breeds and their band of primitives_. That one scene had me crying.

Lindsey being shot by Lorne was unexpected. Lorne never hurt anyone, unless they hurt him or someone he cared about. Being shot like that, out of nowhere was just...wow. It was shocking and I thought Lindsey would be one of the few to make it out alive. But again, I get why he died too-not by Angel's reasoning but by Joss's.

It was actually Hamilton's words that made it click in my head. It was when he and Angel were duking it out and Hamilton said, _You failed everyone. Doyle. Cordy. Fred. _Well, something similar to that anyway. But here's how I saw and understood it. Cordelia and Wesley were one of the originals. They were part of the original Angel Investigation, the first soldiers. And Lindsey, like Lilah, was tied to them. He was there since the beginning, granted on the other side and then on no one's side but he was there.

Anyway, my point is, the old regime was gone. First soldier down was Doyle, followed by Cordelia who was fading away long before anyone ever took notice. Fred is technically still there. The whole is gone but still living in bits and pieces inside Illyria. And so, in that alley, with the rain beating down on them, the new regime (Spike, Gunn, Illyria and of course, Angel, who'll always be there) stood to face their enemies.

That was a good ending. It was hanging but it was good.

My only disappointment was that the last episodes of Angel, especially the final one, were rushed. They could have at least made it into a two hour episode, focusing on the characters longer than they did.

But that's how it was and now you're all probably bored to tears with my ramblings. I just had to say my piece. I didn't feel like writing a fic about it so that's my take on it all.

Anyway, I'm done now.

Please review!


	4. Delirium

A/N: Although certain _BtVS_ characters will make an appearance, Buffy for example, I'm not going to officially consider this as a crossover. It still centers around the _Angel_ universe. You'll get what I mean later on.

Enjoy.

* * *

_Sleight of hand and twist of fate_

from_ With or Without You_ by U2

* * *

Faith writhed in pain, clutching her stomach with one hand and clawing at empty space with the other. She was caught in a tug of war, being rapidly pulled back and forth between realities. She saw glimpses of Angel, the messenger boy and people she was sure she knew. The voices that invaded her head became deafening and the pain grew unbearable.

_Stop it! Stop it! _She tried to fight back to no avail. The baby inside her kicked furiously as if he was trying to fight back too. _If we get out of this, I'm going to make someone wish they were dead._

When the angry noises and the pain subsided, the blurry visions of Angel and the others were gone and Faith was left lying on top of thick, damp grass, panting and still clutching her stomach. The baby gave one last furious kick to remind her he was okay before calming.

"Faith?" Someone whispered tentatively and Faith's eyes snapped open, her skin humming.

_Vampire! _Her senses screamed as she scrambled to her feet, still slightly groggy from her ordeal. Someone touched her arm and she immediately flung them back.

"Wait! Stop!" Willow screamed frantically just as Faith was about to blindly pounce whoever was closest to her.

Faith halted, panting but ready to fight to the death if need be. "Willow?" She whispered. "You!"

The witch smiled softly, nodding. "Yeah, it's me. It's us."

"_What_ the hell did you do to us?" Faith suddenly screeched, grabbing the other woman by the shoulders. Willow flinched and tried to jerk away but Faith tightened her grip. "Answer me, damn it!"

"She's insane." Anya, who Faith didn't recognize, whispered. "You're temporarily insane. It's the spell."

_Who the hell is she?_

"Let Red go, luv." Spike pleaded as he dusted dirt off of his leather duster. "And I'm going to forgive you for flinging me to that tree."

_And why is Spike talking to me like we know each other?_

"Shut up!" Faith hissed.

Dawn, who Faith overlooked, stepped forward shakily. "If you're mad that we did this, blame me. This was my idea. I begged them. Faith, I…I couldn't-"

_Your idea? Couldn't what? _Faith wondered bewilderedly.

"Mine and the platelet's." Spike added, interrupting her thoughts.

_This isn't right. Something's off. Think, Faith, think._

"We didn't mean to hurt you. We wanted to save you." Anya declared brightly, bobbing her head earnestly. "You're experiencing the side effects to the spell. It's like being drunk while jetlagged. It makes you crazy and perhaps amnesiac. Your name is Faith and you have amnesia."

Faith looked at her with confusion and let Willow go. "Save me?" _From what? I don't understand. I thought they'd hurt me and the baby._

They all nodded. "You're still weak. Let us take you home." Spike said quietly as he tried to reach her.

_What is going on? Why are they acting this way?_

Faith immediately backed away, scowling. "Why would _you_ save me?" She demanded from Willow. "We're enemies." _You should be trying to find a hundred ways to hex me or something as payback._

"I was correct. She has amnesia." Anya declared.

_I don't have amnesia, you imbecile._

"Anya, enough." Spike growled. "Look, luv, we'll explain it all to you, give you the play by play of everything that's happened since you've been…been gone. Right now, we have to make ourselves scarce. The rebels are running about and I'm not about to let anything happen to you again." He said to Faith.

_What the hell is up with Mr. Instrument of Evil? Why is this happening? _

Faith blinked, taking in her surroundings for the first time. Thick black smoke blanketed the sky and fire roared around them viciously while the stench of rotting human and demon bodies filled the air. "What happened? Why is it like this?" She had never seen Sunnydale looked so decimated.

"We lost."

She looked at all of them with confusion, trying to make sense of everything. "No." She whispered insistently. "Angel said...he said everything was good. Buffy saved everyone. Again."

_This is all wrong._

"You have everything all mixed up. But listen, we're not enemies, Faith. You're all confused." Willow argued firmly. "We have to go. We don't have time."

"No. I'm going back to Los Angeles."

Anya frowned as did everyone else. "Why would you want to go to Los Angeles?"

"Never mind that. Now is not the time to be stubborn, pet." Spike said.

"Tell Buffy we'll catch up next time." She muttered darkly as she began to turn away.

The group fell into a dead silence. "Buffy's gone. You know that." Dawn explained and Faith halted. She looked at them. _Gone? Gone where?_

"You really don't remember, huh? Let's go, Faith, before anything else goes wrong." Spike coaxed but Faith suddenly doubled over, instantly falling on her knees.

"What the hell? What did you do?" She gasped, looking at Willow accusingly.

"Do? I didn't!" She insisted rushing to Faith's side just as Spike and Dawn did. Anya stepped forward. "Someone's trying to pull you out!"

"Willow, do something!" Dawn yelled hysterically, holding on to Faith.

_Not again. _Faith thought as she fell on her knees. The blurry images of Spike, Dawn, Willow and Anya were the last thing she saw before everything faded to black again.

* * *

Angel walked into the hotel gloomily, discarding his sword on the table. His visit to Wolfram and Hart and the Oracles had been sadly unproductive, none of them resulting in getting Faith and his son back. Despite her cockiness and as much as she wanted to take credit for it, Lilah knew nothing about Faith's disappearance and the Oracles refused to let him enter and speak with them. 

Wesley walked up to Angel, looking just as demoralized. "The locating spell didn't work, Angel. I'm sorry." They had tried to locate Faith while Angel went out to get some other information and at both attempts, they failed.

"Maybe we got the ingredients, wrong." Fred suggested, trying to stay hopeful.

"I'm sorry, baby doll, but that spell was the real dealio. No glitches. We can't find Faith and the baby because they're not here." Lorne stated sadly, patting Fred on the shoulder.

Gunn arched an eyebrow. "We kind of figured that, Lorne. That is why we're looking for her in the first place."

"I meant not in this dimension, Bucko. When Faith was fading away, she wasn't just becoming translucent. She and the baby were being pulled out of our reality."

"They could be in a hell dimension?" Fred whispered, shuddering. "Like Pylea. They'd make her into a cow slave."

"But she wasn't sucked into a portal." Cordelia pointed out. "She's probably doing lunch with the Powers. I'm migraine-vision girl and I don't get to do lunch."

Lorne nodded empathically. "There are other ways to transfer people from one dimension to another. It doesn't always have to be through a portal, princess. And there are millions if not billions of dimensions out there. Faith could be seen as anything; cow, goddess, messiah, demon. Hell, our little slayer could be the next superstar or a simple little shrimp. Like I said, _anything_."

"Shrimp?" Angel mouthed.

"Or she could be chased by crazy pitchfork wielding rebel-demon folk wanting to skewer her alive." Gunn added.

"Whoa, tone down the doom and gloom, guys. Wherever Faith is, she'll take care of herself and the little nipper growing inside her. The Powers did make her into super slayer, right?" Lorne stated. They nodded. "Anyhoo, I might know someone who can help with finding our slayer in this universal haystack. She's big with the dimensional traveling, kiddies. I left a message on her inter-dimensional answering machine. I told her it's an emergency, so, she should be here any minute."

"Thanks."

"She must have a lot of air miles." Cordy murmured.

"What about Lilah, Angel? Did you get anything out of her?" Wesley curiously asked as he flipped another page of his book.

Angel shook his head. "They don't have Faith."

"Are you sure?" Cordelia skeptically asked. "Lilah's a liar. A big one."

"But she's also likes to gloat, Cordy. She doesn't have them. And the Oracles wouldn't let me in."

Cordelia frowned, shaking her head. "Maybe they don't have the answer you're looking for."

"No, they know something but they just don't want to help us." He argued. "I don't understand why the Powers would go through all this trouble just to take my son away."

"When they don't want to see you it means they have something big to hide." Lorne declared. "World changing kind of big."

"Perhaps this was the plan." Wesley suggested softly.

Angel turned to him. "Plan? What plan, Wes? To dump my unborn son and Faith in some hell dimension? Just to get them killed?"

"What I meant, Angel, was although your son is prophesized to exist, he may not be meant to live in this reality."

"And that Faith showing up was the Powers' way of telling you that you're son is alive." Fred continued for Wesley.

Gunn scoffed. "That's messed up."

"That's something like the Powers would do." Cordelia insisted.

"But why hurt her and the baby? It doesn't add up. Someone else is doing this to her and I'm not just going to stand in the sidelines." Angel argued fiercely.

"Hello." Someone spoke and everyone jumped except for Angel.

Wesley dramatically touched his chest, his heart beating wildly.

"Laney!" Lorne exclaimed, outstretching his arms as he greeted his friend. "Sweetie, you made it! Hallelujah!"

"Got your message, Lorne." Laney replied cheerily as she removed leather gloves off of her hands. "I would have been here sooner but there was a glitch in one of the openings and I got thrown back in some dimension. Anyway, what's the problem?"

"We misplaced a slayer. Couldn't find her with the routine tracking spell."

The gang shared a baffled look with each other. "She's our back up plan?" Cordy asked. Gunn just shrugged. "She looks like she's still in high school."

Laney turned to Cordelia and flashed the other woman her best smile. "It's just my street face. People tend to underestimate teenagers. I just turned four hundred last fall."

Lorne chuckled, patting Laney's hand as he led her to the gang. "Gang, meet Laney. She's like a cosmic phonebook. She's absolutely fantastico."

"Or homing device." Laney added, grinning. "But, yeah, I'm fantastic."

"So, you're going to get Faith back for us?" Angel asked, still looking grim but bordering on hopeful.

Laney through her head back, laughed and then stopped abruptly. "There must have been a miscommunication between you and Lorne, Obi Wan. I'm not going to get _anyone_ back."

"What exactly do you do then?" Wesley demanded.

"Oh, Elvis, give me strength. Was _no one_ listening when I said that Laney-girl is a like a mystical phonebook? You look the name up and voila, there's the address! Now, come on let's start flipping pages before slayer girl starts jumping dimensions again!" Lorne exclaimed with a heavy sigh.

Laney flashed a knowing smile at Lorne. "Listen, measly humans and lone vampire, I can follow…uh, Faith, right? Faith's tracks, go where she's been taken but I can't pull her out. I can't do anything that affects these various realities. It's against the rules."

"I suppose it's fair." Wesley stated. "What do you need us to do?"

"Nothing, English muffin. Absolutely nothing." Lorne replied briskly leading Laney away. The group followed. "That's where Faith was when she disappeared. Do your mojo, Laney, before brood-boy here knocks me silly with the tension and worry he's giving off. I'm seeing double already I haven't even had enough Mai-tais."

Fred gigled.

Laney pressed blue tinged lips together and nodded. "So, who wants to go on a field trip and save the princess?"

"Too much turbulence for me." Lorne quipped. "I get nauseas."

"We'll hold the fort in case Faith manages to come back or someone decides to attack." Gunn declared as Angel stepped toward Laney.

Laney grinned at Angel as she took his cold hands into hers. "Okay, time to go, lovey." She said and in a blinding flash of light they were gone, leaving Wesley, Cordelia, Gunn, Fred and Lorne standing in the middle of the lobby.

"How long do you think they'll take?" Gunn asked as they started to turn away.

"Maybe a few hours, a day." Lorne replied with a shrug. "How about we have a pow-wow while we wait for another big thing to happen? We seriously need an upper right now."

There was another flash of light and Angel was sent catapulting across the room, crashing against a chair on Cordelia's right.

"What happened?" Cordy asked as she rushed over to Angel and helped him up.

"Well, that was quick." Gunn muttered.

Seeing no sign of Faith, Wesley sighed. "I guess you didn't find her."

Laney, who appeared moments later, crossed her arms and tapped her foot in frustration. "That was someone's nice way of telling us to stay out." She declared. "We're very lucky we didn't get imprisoned in limbo."

"What does that mean?"

"Your girl was taken to the off limits zone."

Angel glowered. "What off limits zone? I thought you could go _anywhere_, _any_ dimension."

"I can and I did. But you, friend, are not allowed in. I entered the first one; hellish sort of dimension, filled with a lot of demons, vampires and humans. Actually, it's a lot like a place I know in this reality. The second one was area 51."

"The U.S. government took Faith?" Wesley asked looking thoroughly shocked. "When did they resort to magic? This is too bizzare."

"No, not _that_ Area 51, Einstein." Laney clarified impatiently. "The last place Faith was taken to is off-limits to everyone. Only those who are summoned can go there. It's territory to the higher powers. It's a lot like heaven or so I heard."

"The Powers that Be are at work just as we suspected." Wesley said in defeat; removing his glasses and pinching the bridge of his nose as if suffering from an onslaught of a severe headache. "If they don't want us retrieving Faith and your child, Angel, we'll never get them."

* * *

The boy's enormous blue eyes stared emptily into the Stillness, seeing far beyond what was in front of him. His companion, the woman, appeared on his right.

"The slayer has entered the other world." She declared, remaining stoic. "She has spoken with the others."

The boy nodded and blinked as if trying to refocus his eyes. "I saw."

"She will demand answers."

"The dark slayer is not prepared to hear them." The boy insisted.

The woman's face contorted slightly. "We think she is."

"She may hear it but she will not accept it. She will not understand." The child insisted unwaveringly. "It has only been a day. She has not had enough time to bond with the child."

"You are concerned for the mortal."

The boy scoffed. "_Cautious_. Mortals are fickle creatures. Unpredictable." He whispered, looking somewhat disgusted. "We have supremacy over them yet they have too much control."

The woman's pale lips stretched into a small knowing smile. "We have long ago destined that the crossing over will come to pass; that the truth will be shared."

"Yes, but the Dark One was _never_ meant to go across and not by the hands of a human sorceress. They could have damaged the child due to their selfishness." He argued just as Faith materialized in front of them, still and frozen. The boy stepped forward, scowling slightly. "Even in stasis, the pain still lingers in her flesh. It comes off of her in waves. Sickening."

"She likes pain." The woman whispered with a slight fascination. "But this became unbearable for her."

The boy backed away from Faith. "We should remove her memories of the encounter."

"The Dark One will see it as an act of betrayal when she realizes what we've done. She will immediately sever her allegiance to us."

The boy grinned. "Duly noted."

* * *

Faith abruptly woke up and found herself on the same crowded bus that the Powers that Be had ungraciously dropped her off yesterday. 

"Shit." She murmured angrily and an elderly lady and a couple of teenagers shot her curious looks. She glanced out the window and saw that it was nightfall already.

_Angel must be going berserk. _Faith thought as she rang the bell, spotting the Hyperion a couple of blocks away.

The bus came into a screeching halt and the automatic double doors opened, making a slight hissing noise as Faith got off. She waited for the traffic light to turn green and briskly crossed the street, not waiting to run into a vampire or any demon that was asking for a fight. She was feeling strangely ill.

"You're not hurt, are you?" She whispered to her stomach and the baby gave her a kick as if to say that he was five by five. Faith smiled faintly and pushed the rusty gate open. She could see Angel pacing in the lobby, his usual scowl pasted on his face. Faith sighed and walked to the door, pushing it open.

Angel looked up, shocked to see her but it was Lorne who spoke up first.

"Hot Tamales! You're back! They let you out of your mystical prison." He exclaimed.

Angel rushed to Faith's side. "What did they do to you? Is the baby okay?" He asked. _She looks pale._

Faith nodded, exhaling loudly. "I woke up on a bus headed here."

"Like before?" Gunn asked as he, Wes and Fred emerged from Wesley's office.

"Yeah." Faith mumbled, looking distracted. Something did not feel quite right. "The same bus, different people."

"Welcome back, Faith." Wesley said. She merely nodded in response.

"That was one Houdini trick that we don't want to see again." Lorne quipped brightly. He stepped back as if examining her and paused but remained silent despite the look he was giving Faith.

_Whatever. _Faith thought. _I'm tired._

"How long was I gone?" She curiously asked.

"Forty nine hours and fifteen minutes." Fred beamed, timidly waving a hand to Faith.

_Over two days. I was gone for over two days. I didn't even talk to him as long as before. _

"Faith, why did the Powers that Be remove you?" Wesley asked as he joined the gang stand around Faith.

She blinked. The boy told her something. She wasn't quite sure. Everything was still so hazy. "The baby was in pain."

"Why?"

"I don't know." Faith shrugged.

"Surely, there must be a reasonable explanation." Wesley pressed, looking suspiciously. Cordelia glanced at him and understood. "Do you at least know who was causing Angel's child pain?"

Faith narrowed her eyes into thin slits and shook her head. "No, I don't, Wes. What's with the third degree?"

"Oh, Wes just likes to cover all his bases, don't you, Wes?" Cordelia interjected. Wesley nodded, looking bleak. "Just so there aren't any more disappearances happening.

"Okay, let's hold off the firing squad, boys and girls. Faith, you're looking a little green." Lorne said as he touched her cheek. She felt uncharacteristically clammy. "Actually, you look so green we could be related."

"I'm fine. That damn cosmic roller coaster ride just made me feel a little-" Faith abruptly stopped talking, turned and ran the opposite direction. The gang quickly followed. She crouched down by the bushes and vomited violently. Fred was kind enough to hold her hair while everyone else returned inside with the exception of Angel. He stood nearby, looking at her worriedly.

Fred rubbed Faith's back. "You know, doctors are liars." She laughed softly, trying to lighten the mood. "Morning sickness doesn't only happen in the morning."

Faith stopped heaving. "This is supposed to happen, right?"

"I guess so."

* * *

A/N: Probably just as cryptic but I left hints all over. Also, there's a reason for Faith's vomiting in the end of the chappy. It's not just to gross you out.

Feedback please!


	5. Simple Truths

**Song Credits** :

Chapter Two - _The Unforgiven_ by Metallica

Chapter Three - _The Dogs of War_ by Pink Floyd

Chapter Four - _With or Without You_ by U2

Chapter Five - _The Dogs of War_ by Pink Floyd

* * *

A/N: As usual, thanks for the reviews. Love them. Moving on to the contents of this chapter. This chapter basically ties in everything that was previously mentioned.

More cryptic goodness but more explanations also.

Another fair warning. Cordelia is one of my favorite characters but she is going to be the voice of opposition here. Maybe only until Buffy makes her appearance. So, major bitchiness on Cordy's part. Any any bashing by said character might do to another is not my opinion. I'm just taking Cordeli'a meanness up a notch. Meaning she'll be more like her high school self.

Also, before things get better, they have to be broken.

Enjoy.

* * *

_Steps have been taken_

_A silent uproar has unleashed the dogs of war_

* * *

"Stop being a sissy!" 

Angel glowered at Faith and folded his arms. "I am _not_ being a sissy." He argued.

They stood in the middle of the hotel's basement, illuminated by the dim yellow light of the tiny bulb above them. Faith was impatiently insisting that Angel strike her while the vampire insolently refused to do her any sort of physical harm. The slayer was in search for some alone time, not wanting to endure another tedious game of _give us the play by play _with the gang and she knew that weapons would soothe the tension off her nerves. She wanted to rethink the night before. Faith couldn't put her finger on it but she knew that something else had gone wrong.

Unfortunately, Angel decided to crash her one woman party.

Faith scoffed huffily, rolling dark brown eyes at Angel. "You have to attack me like you actually mean it, Angel." She insisted, getting slightly annoyed.

"I can't. I don't want to do this." Angel mulishly announced.

"Well, I'm not going to let you do the creepy stalker thing and watch me from the shadowy parts of the room." Faith insisted just as stubbornly. "Hey, you insisted on joining me and I want to play. Now, be a good little vampire and try to hurt me." When Angel refused to budge, Faith growled in frustration. "I'm doing this for your son, Fang."

Angel shot her a disbelieving look. "You think that beating _you_ up is good for my son? I think we're going to need to have a talk, Faith."

"I need to know how to fight in this…_condition_." Faith clarified. "I haven't been on the job for two years. The only action I got in prison were the occasional fights in the yard."

"Faith, the Powers entrusted you with my son because they know you'll be able to protect it." Angel declared. "You don't need to prove yourself."

_Don't I?_ Faith was tempted to ask.

"Okay then." She said, throwing away the sword she was holding. Faith calmly and coolly strode towards Angel and punched him as hard as she could. Angel's head whipped back as he flew across the room and crashed against a stack of boxes. "Now, don't hold back or I'll be disappointed."

* * *

"What was that?" Fred asked as she heard a loud crash coming from the basement. 

Wesley briefly paused, knitted his forehead and returned to his reading. The crashing and clattering from below intensified and everyone looked to Wes and Cordelia for an explanation.

"Those are violent noises, peeps." Lorne spoke up from behind the magazine that he found on Cordelia's desk. "I know that fighting is in the job description but is fighting _each other_ a standard thing around here?"

"There's no yelling. They're probably just training." Wesley stated dismissively. As far as he could remember, Faith is rather talkative when she's on a murderous streak.

"I must have missed the giant, flashy neon sign saying, _welcome to the fight club_, on my way in." Lorne quipped, returning to the magazine article.

Fred frowned. "Are they always like this?"

"No matter how many times Faith and Angel have come close to killing each other, they always wind up making up." Wesley explained. "I don't quite understand it either."

"So, they're not angry with each other?" Fred continued.

Wesley shook his head. "No."

"You can guarantee that Faith won't dust Angel? Weren't you two the ones insisting that she's beyond crazy and evil?" Gunn pointed out.

Wesley pressed his lips together and nodded. "Yes, but Angel's the only one who hasn't given up on her and she's aware of that."

"Maybe it's foreplay. Their kinks to our vanilla." Gunn offered and Cordelia threw an eraser at him, hitting him right smack in the eye. "Oww, Cordy! What was that for?"

Cordy arched a razor sharp eyebrow and gave Gunn her trademark icy Queen C glare. "First of all, eew!" She drawled dramatically, shooting Gunn another accusing look. "Secondly, Angel and Faith aren't like that. They communicate better with their fists, that's all." She paused for a moment, narrowing her eyes. "You don't sense any lusty vibes, do you, Lorne?"

The Host scoffed. "Who do I look like? Miss Cleo?" He retorted.

"Who's Miss Cleo?" Fred wondered out loud. Gunn shrugged.

"Well, do you?"

"I don't have long range aura-reading radar." Lorne replied. "But I don't sense any murderous feelings."

"Should we check? Just in case." Fred asked.

Cordelia nodded. "Okay, you go."

"Me?" Fred squeaked. "Why me?"

"Because Angel loves you and you're less likely to get in trouble than the rest of us. He will _never_ get mad at you even if you interrupt while he and _Ms. Homicidal-lunatic_ are trying to de-stress." Cordy explained as if it was common sense. "Now, go take a peek."

* * *

Their dance of fists and kicks and blows ended with Faith on top of Angel, panting breathlessly. Sweat glistened on her skin and dark strands of hair clung to her face and neck. 

"I win." She gasped, moving the knife away from Angel's neck. Her lips stretched into a satisfied smile as she rolled off him and collapsed on the floor.

_Almost like old times. _Faith thought with a smirk. _But less killing. _

Her skin hummed and warning bells were practically ringing in Faith's ears for having a vampire too close. The familiar ache in her bones and muscles reminded her of the fights during patrol and Faith almost felt invincible again. Ever since she was let out of prison by the Powers, this was the only time that she felt powerful and in control.

And Faith relished the feeling.

"Actually, you lose." Angel corrected as he sat up. "You can slit my throat with that knife, you can even stab me but it's not going to do much. Vampire, remember?"

"I didn't forget. Did you actually want me to demonstrate the decapitation?" Faith asked as she followed his move and tucked her legs under her. "And your son agrees." She added.

_What was **that**? _Faith inwardly snapped at herself. _The baby agrees? You're not telepathically linked to **his** child. Stupid move. _

Angel's patented scowl disappeared and a small smile graced his lips. "Does he?" Faith merely nodded, exhaling when the baby shifted. "Are you…you're not fading again, are you?"

"He just kicked." Faith reassured him. "Your boy's a kicker."

"Is he still kicking?" Angel looked a cross between incredibly interested and mildly uncomfortable, as if he was about to say something rather inappropriate or awkward. Faith silently watched and waited as emotions played on the vampire's face.

_Oh, God. He's going to ask if he can feel it kick. Damn bastard Powers that Be for putting me in this situation. Okay, this is not about you. _She quickly reprimanded herself. _This is about Angel and his baby with Darla. _

Faith nodded, her calm demeanor slightly faltering. "He can't seem to stop. It must be a baby thing." She replied, swallowing. _Here goes nothing. _"Do you want to feel it kick?"

Angel was practically beaming. "Really?" He asked, clearing his throat. "It's okay with you?" Faith looked somewhat surprised.

"It's your baby. You're entitled." Faith justified although saying it did not make the bitterness that was rising in her throat fade away. "Just don't try to cop a feel anywhere else, okay?" She added good-naturedly. He shot her a reproving look. When Angel tentatively moved his hand, Faith took it and placed it on the spot where the baby was kicking the most. "Here."

They waited silently. Faith sighed.

"He kicked!" Angel declared proudly, breaking the silence. "It was a good, strong kick. Very good kick, don't you think?"

"Yeah."

* * *

"Should we do this? Angel's going to be pissed." Gunn asked as they crowded around the basement door. "Fred, you see anything?" 

Wesley looked thoroughly disturbed by what they were doing. "This is a very serious case of voyeurism."

Cordelia rolled her eyes. "Shame on us." She muttered sarcastically.

"We should be ashamed. Look at us."

"I don't see you walking away, English." Gunn pointed out and Wesley frowned in response. "Fred, what do you see?"

Fred pressed her face against the small crevice of the doorway, trying to see with one eye. "They're still alive. That's good, right? Oh."

"Oh?" Gunn echoed. "Why the _oh_?"

"There's straddling!" She whispered, stunned. "Okay, I'm done."

Cordy and Wesley gasped. "I suppose straddling might be involved when trying to pin down an opponent." Wesley tried to rationalize.

"They better not be getting fleshy down there." Cordelia murmured as she craned her neck over Wesley's shoulder. "We don't need another psychotic super-bitch running around."

"Oh, my God, they're coming!" There was suddenly a series of _oh lord, what _and_ holy crap._ Fred ran away as quickly and as noiselessly as possible. "I meant they're coming up the stairs! Run!"

Everyone scattered, returning to their respective places, trying to look inconspicuous. Angel and Faith appeared and no one bothered to look up at them. Faith shrugged indifferently while Angel narrowed his eyes, sensing that something was off.

"Hey, Tinkle-bird!" Lorne said, beaming at Faith.

_What the hell's a tinkle-bird? _Faith wondered. "Hey."

"Did we miss something?" Angel asked.

Faith stole a quick glance at Angel and then at the group.

"No." Everyone replied in unison. Fred ducked her head shyly.

"Nothing exciting here, Angeltoes." Lorne replied with more zest than usual. "Muffin?" He asked, offering them the box of muffins Gunn had brought to the hotel.

Faith walked over to him and randomly picked one. "Thanks, fighting makes me hungry." She said and Lorne gave her another one of his looks. Faith shrugged it off and took a bite. "Well, as exciting as this is, I'm going to hit the shower." She declared, heading towards the second floor, not wanting to be in their presence longer than necessary. Faith walked straight to the bathroom, discarding her clothes along the way.

That moment with Angel had bothered her and as much as Faith tried to stay detached to what was happening she couldn't. It wasn't about her and Faith was well aware of that. She was simply a means to an end.

She was suddenly assaulted by an onslaught of memories she thought laid dormant inside her and Faith groaned as the familiar frustration continued to build inside before finally settling in the pit of her stomach.

_You're my girl, Faith, no matter what your Mama says. Someday, you'll understand that genetics isn't what makes families. It's something deep inside. You're my mine, blood or not._

"That's a crock." Faith hissed as she stepped under the stream of hot water, trying to wash her father's words away.

_I don't love you any less for that. And I hope that when you're all grown up you'll understand what it's like to love a child, wholly and unconditional. You're not going to be like your Mama. I'm sure of it._

* * *

When Faith returned to the lobby, lunch had been ordered and Cordelia was silently assaulting her salad with a plastic fork while Fred was hungrily devouring her second taco. 

"Oh, good, you're here." Wesley spoke, noticing Faith first. She remained silent, not quite sure if that comment was negative.

"English here finally had his eureka moment." Gunn said.

Faith arched an eyebrow. "Huh?"

"He found something world changing and now, he's as giddy as a schoolgirl." Gunn explained and Wesley scowled at him but refrained from retorting. The Englishman didn't look anywhere close to being giddy.

"I didn't know what you wanted so I got you one of each." Angel said regarding the assortment of food on the curved front desk. Faith was clearly grateful but she just casually shrugged and mumbled an aloof, thanks.

Wesley finished his sandwich and cleared his throat. "Alright, I've compiled a list of several prophecies and references that could possibly be related to the three of you."

"Three of us?" Faith asked.

"You, Angel and the baby." Wesley clarified. "I found some passages, all of them written in…never mind. I believe they are the Eyes of Eve."

"The Eyes of Eve?" Gunn asked. "As in Adam's Eve? From the Bible?"

Wesley shook his head. "No, not the biblical character."

"Goody." Faith muttered.

Wesley ignored the comment and carried on. "She was a precognitive blind woman who was thought of being inhabited by the devil because she took on different personalities. Three of them to be exact."

"In modern scientific terms, Eve suffered from multiple personality disorder." Fred stated softly.

"But in actuality, the old woman didn't suffer from anything. She was linked to great mystical powers. She was a prophetess."

Angel frowned. "Like Dru."

"Who's Dru?" Fred asked.

"Another crazy vampire girlfriend." Cordy replied.

Fred frowned. "I need a chart for these things."

"Moving on." Wes said. "The personalities that she took on are the Eyes. First, second and third. With each personality, she wrote thousands of prophecies. All of them are related in some form or another."

"If she was blind, how was she able to write?" Gunn asked, getting slightly sidetracked.

"That's completely beside the point, Gunn." Wesley admonished. "The point is Angel, Faith and the baby are mentioned."

Faith folded her arms. "So, what's the deal? What do the prophecies say exactly?"

"_Forged in light but tainted by the hand of darkness, the dark girl in the form of the vessel will be called forth and through her the first will be born_." Wesley recited. "This is the only existing prophecy that mentions the Vessel. Obviously, this speaks of Faith and the child."

"Well, that's vague." Faith drawled. "What did you mean by first? First what, exactly?"

"It doesn't specify but there were several allusions to great evil, savior and warrior."

Faith blinked. "What?"

"The baby you're carrying might be evil, Faith." Wesley clarified, looking at Angel apologetically. Angel's jaw tightened as his expression darkened.

"But the baby is human." Angel insisted. "It has a soul."

Wesley nodded somberly. "It clearly states that-"

"I heard what you said, Wes." Angel argued. "There has to be some sort of mistake. My son is not evil."

Wesley shook his head. "I checked and rechecked Angel."

Angel refused to believe it. "Not everything prophesized actually happens."

_But it will. _Faith thought. She was going to give birth soon. She could feel it. "The baby can't be evil. The Powers want it to be born."

"Unless you've been duped." Gunn stated. "Unless whoever you were talking to was actually evil."

Faith glared, not at Gunn but at the thought that this child inside her was evil. "No." Faith argued. _It doesn't feel evil._ _This is a mistake. The boy promised me that the baby isn't evil._

"Did you know about this?" Cordelia asked her accusingly.

"Oh, you're looking at _me_ to blame?" _Bitch. _

"Well, usually it _is_ your fault." Cordy retorted bitterly. "And you're the _only_ one who's had contact with the being who you claim to be part of the Powers."

Faith scoffed. "Cut the Joan Collins attitude, Cordelia. Do you honestly think that I would willingly carry some demon's spawn just so it can grow up and destroy us all?"

"I wouldn't put anything past you."

"Stop!" Angel growled. "Enough. Wes, is there anything else?"

Wesley nodded. "It goes on about a slayer raising a champion."

"Then it's settled. My son will grow up to be a champion with Faith's help. It's not evil. These prophecies are trying to throw us off." Angel declared dismissively.

"Champion of what though? Good or evil?"

Wesley shrugged. "It does not say. It only says that _a choice will be made, a life forfeited to save another. And the slayer will raise a champion_."

"Is there a possibility that what you're carrying _isn't_ actually Angel's baby?" Fred timidly asked. "Not that I doubt your word or anything, Faith."

Faith paled and Wesley practically collapsed in his chair. "Oh, God." He murmured in utter shock. "How could I not see this?"

"See what?" Angel barked.

"The prophecies did not indicate that the Vessel and the mortal woman chosen to carry your child are one and the same. But the prophecies of the third eye are missing. If we had it maybe…"

Angel stiffened as he looked at Faith, searching for some answer. She gritted her teeth and refused to say anything. _This is a trick. This is a trick. _She insisted silently. _The baby can't be bad. You know they're wrong. Don't listen._

"Oh my God, Buffy!" Cordelia screeched.

"Where?"

"She's not here, obviously." Cordelia said without missing a beat. She strode over to Wesley and snatched the sheets of paper from his hand. "Let's go with this theory, okay? The prophecies; one says a mortal woman will give birth to Angel's son and another says that the dark girl in the form of the Vessel will give birth to something possibly evil. You and Buffy, Faith, you've never found common ground. You're at opposite ends of the spectrum."

Faith folded her arms defensively. "What exactly are you trying to say?"

"Well, you chose the dark side over slayer-hood while Buffy stayed on the straight and narrow. These prophecies never specified that _you're_ going to carry Angel's son. Let's think about it, people. Buffy is as mortal as the rest of us are excluding Angel of course." Cordelia declared. "And now, it says _a slayer will raise a champion_. Uh, hello, Buffy's _the_ slayer and I'm pretty sure that whatever she happens to raise will turn out to be some champion of the light although they might be borderline geekazoid."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning, why hasn't anybody checked on Buffy?"

"Buffy can't have my son." Angel insisted. "She just died. The Powers wouldn't burden-"

Cordelia nodded. "She made another sacrifice for the world. Don't you think the Powers would choose-?"

"No!" Faith practically yelled. "Buffy has _nothing_ to do with this. This thing inside me is Angel's son. I told you-"

"Well, your word doesn't stand for much around here."

"Cordelia, don't." Angel stepped in.

Cordelia's jaw dropped and betrayal, hurt and anger flashed before her eyes. "I'm thinking about your ungrateful undead ass here and you take _her_ side? She's probably plotting our demise _and_ enjoying this! I can't believe you!"

"I am not taking _anyone's_ side, Cordelia." Angel uttered firmly. "But let's not jump to conclusions here. Lorne read Faith. She's here to help us."

Lorne nodded and since his name was suddenly brought up, he decided to step in. "Let's _all_ take a breather, alright, before we pull out the big guns. Let's have a few drinks…or a lot, depending on our rage."

"I am not enraged." Cordy hissed.

"Your aura begs to differ, princess." He gave her a sympathetic smile. "Faith's clean as a whistle. She's not plotting anyone's demise." Lorne reassured her.

"But Cordelia does bring up a very valid point. Perhaps we should check, Angel." Wesley spoke up.

"Check?"

"Faith should have an ultrasound." He suggested. "And perhaps we should call Sunnydale."

Faith watched as Angel hesitated. Like parasites, Cordelia's words were already creeping in the back of his mind, planting seeds of doubts. He turned to Faith, torn and confused and feeling somewhat betrayed. "Faith, we should-"

"Whatever." She interrupted, a small bitter laugh escaping her lips. "It's not like I have a choice anyway. You all decided already."

"Faith."

"Let's just get this over with!" She snapped, walking away from him. Angel stepped back, looking somewhat defeated and guilty.

"We'll take my car." Wesley offered. He was partially relieved that Faith gave in without a fight. "Angel?"

The vampire looked up. "I'll take the sewers. Take care of her, Wes."

"I will." Wes nodded as he caught up with the rest of the group.

"And I'll be here." Lorne said as he watched all of them leave.

"Lorne, are you sure that you read Faith clearly?" Angel asked before he made his way to leave.

The Host nodded. "I read her. She wasn't lying but there's a possibility that what I saw could have been fabricated by something evil. I didn't want to say it in front of the poor girl. She's already scared and confused enough."

"Scared?"

"Wouldn't you be? She believes that she's carrying your child." Lorne sighed. "And Angel, you're the only one she trusts out of-"

"I know."

"So, don't-"

"I know, Lorne."

Lorne nodded. "Angel?"

"What is it?"

"There's trouble a-brewing, Angel-wings, and you're girl is riding front and center." He gravely told Angel. "And if we're right about the baby and it turns out as some demon, Faith won't kill. She's already part…she loves that being inside her even if she hasn't acknowledged it yet." Angel silently absorbed the information, nodded and walked away. "Oh, boy." Lorne murmured as he walked behind the front desk and poured himself a drink. "This is not going to end well."

* * *

Lilah smirked as she watched the monitor. 

"Look at them; they're falling apart at the seams, like little rats trying to escape their prison." She said to no one in particular. "It's almost like watching reality TV. Time to make Faith an offer she can't refuse."

* * *

A/N: I know, I know, Cordelia was crazily bitchy but hey, I like her this way. Only goes to show she's loyal to Angel, right? 

Faith wasn't very introspective but you'll get to see what she really thinks in the next chapter.

A big woohoo to those asking for a pairing. This is going to be F/A, either friendship or romance. No poetic outbursts and mushy praises or adoration jsut yet, if ever. I know that Faith and Angel's scene was somewhat awkward but they have to start somewhere and I highly doubt that liplocking would be their first move. You know what they say, friendship often ends in love. Blah, blah and all that.

I'm aware that a character named Eve already exists in the _AtS _universe but what the hell, I like the name and it sounded nice with the word _eyes_.Keep a lookout for the third eye.

So, now that Buffy is about to thrown into the mix, I'm anticipating that some of you are not going to be pleased and want her gone as quickly as possible. She'll serve her purpose to Angel and Faith, which I refuse to reveal right now and she'll be off to Sunnydale.

Any thoughts?


End file.
